Nets and Lies(14)

I was waiting for my usual Monday night hook-up to commence. It’d been two weeks since our behind the concession-stand quickie. For a moment, my aggravation subsided when I thought of how lately Coach T, or Mark as I should’ve thought of him, couldn’t seem to get enough of me. Monday nights were set in stone, but lately, he’d texted me to meet up at least two more times.

Regardless of what I was doing, I dropped everything to meet him. Nothing filled the stretches of lonely days quite like those stolen hours we shared together.

But when I eyed the clock again, I twitched in frustration. Usually, as soon as everyone had cleared out of the building, Coach T would flick the outside lights twice. Then I knew the coast was clear, and I could go inside.

But he was thirty minutes late tonight, and I quickly texted a, “WTF is going on?” message. I wasn’t gonna wait outside all night for him. Especially after I’d turned the car off fifteen minutes ago, and I was shivering in the late January cold. Well, I told myself I would leave, knowing full well I would wait for him forever.

My eyes caught sight of a figure in the parking lot. I squinted and recognized Melanie Reeves. Even though it was after practice, she looked like hell. Her mascara smudged across her cheeks, and her lipstick looked smeared. Geez, she could have at least taken the time to clean up before heading home.

Her car had barely left the parking lot when I saw the flick of the lights. I checked my reflection in the mirror one more time before opening the car door. My heels clicked across the pavement as I made my way to the door. The only nice thing about meeting in the practice gym was the fact there were no cameras and no fear of discovery. It was the one area of the school that had yet to be remodeled or brought into the technological age.

I found Coach T sitting at his desk, his head in his hands.

“Hey,” I said softly. I reached over to run my fingers through his dark hair. He surprised me by jerking away. “What’s wrong?”

He still refused to look at me. “We can’t do this.”

“Aren’t you in the mood tonight?”

He raised his head to stare at me. “No, I’m not.”

I cocked my head and grinned at him. “I bet you I can change that,” I said, and then leaned over to kiss him.

At first, it was like crashing against a solid wall. But then he gave way, and his lips became frantic against mine. He jumped up from the chair and crushed me to him. When he finally jerked away, I panted for air. “That’s more like it,” I gasped.

He ran his fingers through his hair and then shook his head. “I can’t do this, Jordan.”

“I don’t understand—”

“We can’t see each other anymore. It was wrong, and it never should have happened.”

I stared at him in disbelief, slowly shaking my head from side to side. It felt as if his lips were moving, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. “Not see each other anymore? But why?”

“You’re too young. I took advantage of you.”

I snorted. “Took advantage of me? Has there ever been a time I came to you unwilling? I’ve wanted you every time—I want you all the time.”

He winced. “It doesn’t matter. It was wrong.”

Heat filled my cheeks as I tried desperately to fight for him, to fight for us. “But I don’t understand. Why would you suddenly decide it was wrong?”

“I’m trying to make things work with my wife, Jordan. She doesn’t know about you, but she knows I’ve been having an affair.”

“Why did you tell her?”

“I didn’t. It all came out in therapy.”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Therapy?”

He nodded. “I—well she and I—have been in couple’s counseling for a long time.”

“For what?”

He gazed down at the floor. “Well, if you must know—”

“I think I have a right to know if you’re blowing me off!” I cried, bringing my hands to my hips.

Coach T raised his gaze to stare me straight on. “For sex addiction.”

I gasped.

“Anyway, I love her, and I want to save my marriage.”

My heart skidded to a stop, and I fought to find my breath. “But…I-I love you,” I protested.

“No, you don’t. You just think it’s love.”

“Now you’re telling me what I feel?” I shook my head. “I’ve never loved anyone in my life the way I’ve loved you. These past few months have been the best months of my life. I want to be with you.” My arms encircled his neck. “Forget about your wife. She doesn’t make you happy. I can see that. You know I can make you happy. I’d do anything for you, I swear!”

He took my arms and pulled them away. “In time, you’ll see this is the right thing. You need to be with someone your own age. You’d realize in a few years that you didn’t love me, and it was all just a crush.”

My chest felt like it was caving in. I couldn’t believe the same man who couldn’t get enough of me just three days ago was now blowing me off, reducing my feelings to nothing more than f**king puppy love.

Tears stung my eyes. “No, it’s not a crush.”

“Jordan—”

“So was I just some piece of young ass to you?” That thought burned in my mind. Was I just a conquest to him? Something he did to see if he could get away with it? Part of his alleged sex addiction? After all, guys usually only wanted me for one thing. And once they used me, they tossed me aside. The sad thing was I never seemed to learn.